Eagles said to be in running for Saints' Brandin Cooks
INDIANAPOLIS - When stories surfaced about wide receiver Brandin Cooks' being unhappy in New Orleans during the 2016 season, Eagles coach Doug Pederson definitely took notice, a source close to the situation said Thursday.
INDIANAPOLIS -
When stories surfaced about wide receiver Brandin Cooks' being unhappy in New Orleans during the 2016 season, Eagles coach Doug Pederson definitely took notice, a source close to the situation said Thursday.
That tidbit became relevant when ESPN's Chris Mortensen reported that the Eagles and the Tennessee Titans are interested in trading for Cooks, a wide receiver who doesn't turn 24 until September, who has notched back-to-back 1,100-yard-plus seasons. Mortensen also said the Titans are the front-runners in the sweepstakes, but if the Birds could match Tennessee's bid, Cooks would make a lot of sense for them.
De facto general manager Howie Roseman spoke in January about how most years, rookie receivers don't have a huge impact. Wideout is the most glaring need on the Eagles' roster, and no one with Cooks' resume is available in what is shaping up as an overheated free-agent market. Alshon Jeffery, the top pass-catcher scheduled to hit free agency, is 31/2 years older than Cooks and is coming off back-to-back disappointing years, including a four-game PED-use suspension in 2016.
Cooks apparently just wants to be a featured weapon, instead of a cog in a wheel. Looking at the Eagles' roster, that wouldn't seem to be a problem.
The Saints might be worried that down the road, they won't be able to pay or keep happy both Cooks and Michael Thomas, who caught 92 passes for 1,137 yards for them as a rookie in 2016.
What will it take to land Cooks? The Eagles almost certainly will not part with their first-round pick, which will be either 14th or 15th overall, determined by a Friday coin flip. A second and linebacker Mychal Kendricks? Those things and a fourth or so next year?
The Titans have the fifth and 18th overall picks in the first round. They do not own a second-round selection, but they choose twice in the third.
Cooks, from Oregon State, was among a half-dozen prospects the Eagles targeted in the first round of the 2014 draft. But they were picking 22nd overall, and every one of those players left the board before the Birds' turn arrived, leading them to trade back to 26th overall, where they drafted defensive end Marcus Smith. The Saints traded up to take Cooks 20th, then another Eagles target, safety Ha-Ha Clinton-Dix, went 21st, to the Packers.
Part of the subtext of the Eagles' showing interest in trading for Cooks is that they don't have a ton of cap room for an expensive romp through free agency, even if they were inclined toward one.
Delivery from Dawkins
Guard-tackle Dion Dawkins, one of four Temple players at the combine, was asked Thursday whether he thought his versatility was a draft asset.
"Extremely," Dawkins said. "It's basically getting two boxes of pizza for the price of one. It's a blessing that I have the opportunity to play multiple positions well. I'm planning on learning center, too."
@LesBowen
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